Journal lubricator clearance gauge



March 1963 N. L. MCCRACKEN 3,079,692

JOURNAL LUBRICATOR CLEARANCE GAUGE Filed Jan. 13, 1961 WINNIE-III" Y L lilll-lllllllli w k Q N IN VEN TOR. A/aemm L McCz/mem United States This invention relates to and in general has for its object the provision of a journal lubricator clearance gauge.

Freight car journals are customarily lubricated by means of lubricator pads located immediately adjacent and in contact with the bottom of the journals. If there is improper contact between these two components, the lubricator pad must be replaced in accordance with the AAR Code of Rules Governing Interchange of Equipment.

More specifically, then, the object of this invention is the provision of a clearance gauge including a manipulating handle provided at one end thereof with an arcuate feeler blade axially insertable between the journal of a freight car and its associated lubricating pad and adapted to be moved axially along said journal and rotated on the axis of said handle to determine the degree of contact or clearance between these two components.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification is outlined in full. In said drawings, one form of the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claim may be embodied in other forms.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top-plan view of a clearance gauge embodying the objects of my invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the gauge illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the gauge illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The gauge shown in these various figures includes a handle generally designated by the reference numeral 1, and to one end of which is attached an arcuate feeler blade generally designated by the reference numeral 2.

Preferably the handle 1 is made of A;"-diameter steel rod and is formed at one end with a closed gripping or manipulating loop 3 approximately 4 /2" long and 1% wide. Formed on the opposite end of the handle 1 is a flat 4 in the order of 1 /2" in length and /8 in width.

The arcuate blade 2 is conveniently made of a rectangular strip of ZO-gauge spring steel and is provided with a /;"-long foot 5 rigidly secured at its free end to the free end of the flat 4 as by welding at right angles to the handle 1.

Overlying and welded to the corner formed by flat 4 and the feeler foot 5 is a stiffening gusset 7 offset as at 8 so as to accommodate the feeler foot 5.

The width of the feeler blade 2 should be in the order of Zi and all corners and edges thereof should be rounded. The blade 2 should be curved on a 2 /8 radius having a center located below the feeler foot 5 (on the opposite side of the blade curve) and 3 1 forward of the free end of the foot 5. The radius on which the blade 2 is formed, of course, depends on the diameter of the journal in question, but for the most part this is a atent standard dimension and consequently the radius designated is suitable for the majority of journals.

As a result of this construction the feeler blade 2 can be readily inserted axially between the top of a journal lubricator pad and the bottom of a journal associated therewith and then translated from the front to the rear of the journal with all points of the feeler blade in sliding contact with the journal and always lying in a plane normal to the axis of the journal. If while this movement is being effected the gauge handle 1 can be turned on its own axis so that the free end of the feeler blade 2 is lifted out of contact with the journal, this is an indication that there is too much clearance between the journal and the lubricator pad, and that consequently the latter should be replaced. If, on the other hand, the contact between the lubricator pad and the journal is such that the gauge handle cannot be readily twisted as the gauge is translated along the journal, this is an indication that proper contact exists between the pad and the journal.

It is to be here observed that the gauge operates as a first-class lever wherein the heel of the blade 2 serves as a fulcrum, the handle 3 serves as one lever arm, and the blade 2 per se serves as the other lever arm. If the contact between the lubricating pad and the journal is proper, the pad will hold or resist the rotation of the feeler blade 2 about its heel in response to a turning force applied to the handle 3. Any play between the lubricating pad and the journal can be readily sensed by the handle 3 and transmitted to the fingers of the operator.

It is to be here emphasized that the blade 2 is not rotated on its own axis, but rather on the axis of the handle 3, and that this latter axis parallels the axis of the journal but lies adjacent the side walls thereof.

As a result of this expedient the feeler blade 2 can be made to sense a greater clearance between the lubricating pad and the journal than that which would be reflected by the actual gauge of the blade.

To enable the blade to be readily introduced axially between the lubricating pad and the journal, the blade should subtend an angle of less than 180, and to be suificiently sensitive to clearances between these two components, the subtended angle should not be less than although this latter dimension is purely a matter of degree.

I claim:

A gauge for determining the clearance between a journal and its associated lubricating pad, and arranged to be inserted axially between said journal and said pad, comprising: a thin arcuate spring steel feeler blade formed on a radius equal to the radius of said journal, said blade having a width substantially greater than its gauge and subtending an angle greater than 90 but less than and a manipulating handle secured to one end of said blade normal thereto and provided at its free end with a hand grip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,896,331 Horst July 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 998,719 France Sept. 26, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Publication: Am. Mach, page 254, July 4, 1946. 

